Rumor Has It

When there is a decent class any school, word gets spread around like there's a new iphone coming out and we should all be there, in line upon it's release. "The Art of Presentation" has been on my hit list ever since I had herd about it, but by fate, reason, or timing, it took me a few semesters to actually get on the register. 

I like to think that I saved the best for last because I genuinely think this has been one of most beneficial learning experiences I have at The Academy of Art University. I heard the class was going to be kind of "off the wall" comparatively speaking (to other advertising classes we are forced to take), but had no expectations on what I would encounter or get from the class.

I was told that the whole class would be about 'presenting yourself,' which is a pretty broad description because the kind of presentations that we went through in this class were far different than anything I had every signed up for. What really resonated with me was that 'presenting' isn't about the 10 minutes you prepare for a final presentation, it is a collective vibe or energy that you put out into the world. The message I got from the class was that we are always presenting ourselves.
With that being said, we must look into ourselves. Because becoming in tune with our selves can be a life long practice. I learned that it was normal to feel a bit of discomfort when you realize that you aren't presenting your self in the way you want to be perceived. When the mic. is in your hands you gotta work it well.

Reading our strategist/author friend, Jon Steel's book was a good addition to the message we were consistently working through in the class. I plunged through those reading assignments and hoped that my fellow students were as into it as I was. I actually looked forward to the post reading discussions/quizzes that we set aside time for each class. These were the beginnings of another very important lesson we learned in the class: how important it is to fill our minds with rich information and be able to interpret and develop opinions in a way that it is stimulating and relevant to us.
A little bit of fate and timing contributed to me enrolling for this class at this time because I think it was most beneficial to me right before graduation. This class shied away any feelings of failure and encouraged me to go for it.

I would say this class encouraged me to develop an authentic and professional way to observe and approach the challenges all college students face. The advisement and coaching of the teacher, Luke Kreinberg was indeed what made it such a valuable experience. His open approach with teaching allowed us to be in contact with him congruently throughout the week and not just during the 3 hours we spent in class.

p.s. Thank you Luke for being there whenever we needed your help, for encouraging us, and getting us one step closer to whatever we are aiming for in our careers.